Genetics (audio)

We are experiencing an accelerated rate of loss of species due to human activities. This anthropogenic phenomenon extends beyond extinction. It encompasses an expanded loss of biodiversity as the genetic diversity of species diminish, reducing gene pools to “gene puddles.” We know details of species extinctions events from the fossil record, historical record, and from ancient DNA studies, and that historical processes shape extinction risk. Habitat loss and changing eco-environmental conditions, competition, and other factors produce genomic impacts, also influencing extinction risk. The legacy of past events impacts resiliency of species in the current environment in interpretable ways. Demographic trajectories reveal vulnerability to extinction. Remarkable advances in genomics technologies portend a deeper understanding of the evolution of life and the vulnerability of extant species to changes now taking place through human agency. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny

Amazing new technologies in developmental biology and genetics research are allowing scientists to begin to answer long standing questions such as – how does a single fertilized egg cell transform into a complex animal? Why does the embryo of a marine organism like a sea slug develop differently from that of a sea urchin? Join Scripps Developmental Biologist Deirdre Lyons as she describes how she and her colleagues are pushing the limits of our knowledge to understand these intriguing questions and the long history and diversity of life on our planet. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Show ID: 37915]

Michele De Luca, MD, shares his research in gene therapy for epidermolysis bullosa and cell therapy for ocular burns. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37671]

Don Cleveland, PhD, shares new research on the role of chromothripsis, targeting cancers driven by ecDNA and more. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37586]

Dan Kaufman, MD, PhD, David Traver, PhD, Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, discuss the impact of genomics in relation to stell cell research including potential therapeutics for MDS and the role of the somite in hematopoietic stem cell fate. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37561]

There are at least 2,500 proteins that bind RNA. Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, explains how his lab studies these RNA binding proteins and their impact on human health. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37589]

Jonathan Sebat, PhD shares current research on how combinations of rare gene mutations and complex common variant risk factors contribute to autism. Series: "Autism Awareness Programs" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37658]

To Sheng-Ying Pao, the power of reframing CRISPR lies in what is absolutely ordinary: paper. In CRISPaper, Pao revisited a cultural past in the ancient art of papermaking. In ancient China, wild rice was used to make paper. Pao took rice stalks from plants edited with CRISPR and ground the fibers into pulp. She then poured the pulp over a mesh screen. Every time she dipped the screen into water, the plant fibers would lift and resettle on top of the mesh, eventually making paper. Through the genome-edited rice plant, an ancient practice was juxtaposed with cutting-edge technology. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Science] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37388]

UC Consortium launches first clinical trial using CRISPR to correct the gene defect that causes Sickle Cell Disease. Dr. Mark Walters of UCSF talks about a new CRISPR gene therapy developed by scientists and physicians at UC Berkeley, UCSF and UCLA. The trial aims to directly correct the sickle mutation in blood stem cells that causes them to create deformed red blood cells, leading to the debilitating and painful disease. It will be the first time clinical researchers attempt to correct the faulty beta-globin gene in a patient's own cells with non-virally delivered CRISPR gene correction tools. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37368]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Herman Pontzer explores the evolution of metabolism, Grazyna Jasienska discusses different effects of activity on women's reproductive health and Ellen Breen explores an evolutionary pathway for high endurance activity. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37187]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Jandy Hanna explores climbing in human evolution. Most primates live and move in the trees, but humans have evolved to move bipedally on the ground. Primates’ arboreal life-style has long been thought to have allowed the evolution of human beings’ unusual form of movement. We know much about how horizontal movement on branches differs in primates relative to most other mammals. But only recently have we begun to learn about how climbing is accomplished by non-human primates, and how such movement may have permitted early human ancestors to move upright. Key findings regarding the biomechanics of climbing, and what these data may mean for understanding human movement and exercise, are discussed. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research a

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Herman Pontzer explores the evolution of human metabolism and its role in our evolution and health. From an evolutionary perspective, life is a game of turning energy into offspring. The strategies that species use to acquire energy, in the form of food, and allocate energy to the essential tasks of growth, maintenance, movement, and reproduction, are incredibly diverse and reflect the ecological pressures and opportunities encountered. There is a deep evolutionary history of the human metabolic strategy and our divergence from other apes. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 36951]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Ellen Breen explores an evolutionary pathway for high endurance activity. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 36945]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Yana Kamberov explores how sweating evolved and what it means for Homo sapiens. Humans use sweating as the primary mechanism to dump body heat. Humans’ ability to effectively harness sweating as a thermoregulatory mechanism is a product of the evolution of a massively increased sweat gland density and a drastic reduction in the size of body hair. Advances have been made in identifying the genetic basis for how these unique and essential adaptations of human physiology evolved. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 36949]

Explores cellular anthropology to understand how variation in human regulatory elements can mediate morphological evolution and individual variation of the craniofacial form. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 32973]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Tatum Simonson explains adaptations to altitude and diving. Humans have persisted for hundreds of generations under challenging environmental extremes. Adaptations to such environments have been essential for survival, enabling populations to trek successfully among high mountain tops or to dive deeply into vast seas. Unique genetic signatures, resulting from thousands of years of strong selective pressures in these environments, have been discovered within the DNA of present-day populations. These findings provide important clues into evolutionary processes in humans. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 36946]

Breakthroughs in genomics and targeted therapies are revolutionizing the practice of clinical oncology. Precision genomics and immunotherapy offer promise to improve outcomes in cancer, but doing so means we need to move beyond historical models for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Razelle Kurzrock, MD discusses insights from this rapidly changing field and addresses some of the ethical challenges that must be met if we are to transform the lives of patients with cancer. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 36637]

Mark Tuszynski, MD, Ph.D., Bob Yant, and Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, Ph.D. discuss the newest research and treatments for spinal cord injury, including how neural stem cells may be leveraged to potentially regain function. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37102]

Experts address altered states of the mind that are deliberately induced by humans. We will address what is known about origins and mechanisms of these mind-altering practices. In doing so, we hope to gain new insights into the origins and workings of the human mind. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36671]

Stem cells may play a critical role in treating genetic diseases. Hear from experts in the field. Moderated by Matthew Porteus, MD, PhD, Stanford University Tippi MacKenzie, MD, UC San Francisco: Fetal Therapy for Alpha Thalassemia Major Matthew A. Spear, MD, Poseida Therapeutics: CAR-T Cells: Poseida Therapeutics Stephen Gottschalk, MD, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Gene Therapy for X-linked SCID Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 36351]